SITE FEATURES

Featured Sportsbooks

2009 Cincinnati Bearcats Football Preview

2009 Cincinnati Bearcats season preview from Maddux Sports. Below
you can find our official Cincinnati Bearcats football preview as
well as the 2009 Cincinnati Bearcats Football Schedule. After reading
this article check out our college
football predictions against the current
point spread.

Over the last five years, the Cincinnati Bearcats (11- 3 overall,
6- 1 Big East) have had their ups and downs. In 2005, they won just
four games and couldn’t buy a bowl bid, while last year they
took the conference crown and went to the Orange Bowl where they
lost to Virginia Tech 7- 20. This season could be up, down or somewhere
in the middle.

In 2008, then junior QB Tony Pike (324 ATT, 199 COMP, 2,407 YDs,
11 INTs, 19 TDs) had a massive season. He’s back as a senior
and should have total command of the Bearcat offense. Wideout Mardy
Gilyard (81 REC, 1.276 YDs, 11 TDs) is the top pass catcher on a
deep receiving squad. Two fine running backs also return. Junior
John Goebel (133 ATT, 607 YDs, 7 TDS) and senior Jacob Ramsey (152
ATT, 664 YDs, 2 TDs) are a tough one-two punch. The last part of
the offense puzzle, the line, is experienced, skilled and deep.
Look for Cincinnati to up its average total of 25.9 points per game
from last season.

The defense was tough in 2008, holding opponents to 20.2 PPG. They
were especially good versus the run, as opponents rushed for an
average of just 115.0 YPG, ranking them 19th nationally. The only
returning starter on “D” is free safety Aaron Webster
(60 TKLS, 1 INT). That means that the frontline and linebacking
units are both all new. Defensive end Curtis Young notched 25 tackles,
4 sacks and 4.5 tackles for a loss in limited action last season.
Look for him to improve those numbers. There are some solid sophomores
on each unit with Derek Wolfe at defensive tackle, J.K. Shaffer
at wide linebacker and Drew Frey at strong safety. Coordinator Bob
Diaco has been hired to reshape the defense and gets to start with
what is basically a clean slate.

All-American punter Kevin Huber is gone and will be tough to replace.
Freshman Patrick O’Donnell will get the job. Placekicker Jake
Rogers is back but has proven to be inconsistent in his first two
seasons. The return game includes Gilyard, who averaged 27.6 YPR
and scored two TDs, and Goebel, who was good for 21.8 YPR. The punt
return game is also solid as D.J. Woods (9.4 YPR) comes back.

Head coach Brian Kelly (22- 6 in two years at Cincinnati) has a
long way to go to make up for the loses on defense. Some believe
that the Cats have ability this season to put more points on the
board than they did last, compensating for a weaker defense. But
will that work against non-conference clubs such as Oregon State
and Illinois or versus top conference teams such as Rutgers, Pittsburgh
and West Virginia? The last three games with West Virginia (November
13), Illinois (November 27) and Pittsburgh (December 5) will determine
where this club ends up. A midland finish with a middle tier bowl
invite look most likely.

Cincinnati Bearcats Football Schedule

Date

Team

Opponent

Site

Line

Total

Points

Opp Points

9/7/2009

Cincinnati

Rutgers

away

9/12/2009

Cincinnati

SE Missouri St.

home

9/19/2009

Cincinnati

Oregon St.

away

9/26/2009

Cincinnati

Fresno St.

home

10/3/2009

Cincinnati

Miami (OH)

away

10/15/2009

Cincinnati

South Florida

away

10/24/2009

Cincinnati

Louisville

home

10/31/2009

Cincinnati

Syracuse

away

11/7/2009

Cincinnati

Connecticut

home

11/13/2009

Cincinnati

West Virginia

home

11/27/2009

Cincinnati

Illinois

home

12/5/2009

Cincinnati

Pittsburgh

away

For more info on the 2009 Cincinnati Bearcats football program,
view the Bearcats
football site or you can read about other Big East teams below.

2009 Big East Football Previews

All of the Big
East teams are featured to the right. Each link under the team previews
gives our individual breakdown for the eight Big East colleges. For
other teams visit Maddux's
09 college preview page.

If you would like to know how Maddux forecasts the order of finish
for the Big East football conference check out the Big
East Conference Preview section which is our conference preview
as a whole. With only 1 starter back on defense can Brian Kelly get
his Bearcats back to the BCS? Will Wannstedt choke away another season
with loaded talent? Is Rutgers' schedule just too easy for them not
to win the Big East crown?

Featured Sportsbooks

About Maddux Sports

For years the sports handicappers at Maddux Sports
have been making money for us and our clients betting the strongest
sports picks on the Internet. Maddux Sports feels that in this industry
the best sports handicappers can charge less for their picks than the
big name scamdicappers. Maddux Sports makes its money from repeat sports
bettors that know the value of their bankroll. Featured on: